Discovery+ after 22 September

[fiddlesticks01]

After using the updated app on the EE TV Box pro for a few days, I would really like to know what the user is meant to make of this change/update. From admittedly a short period of using it, it looks different, features are in different places etc, seemingly the usual type of update which changes things for no apparent reason. It also seems worse - the app has failed to respond to any command except closing it a few times already and I've had to restart the app and start again (when watching live sport). I also get the score alerts pop up and have turned them off as I did previously, yet they are re-enabled every time I start the app, so have to turn them off every single time.

What is the point of this? What is the benefit of this to the users? Why does it already seem less stable than the previous version which generally worked fine? It's almost as predictable as night follows day that an update just changes things around, looking different, but with no upside, and actually make the experience worse.

[gomezz]

Having played with the new version of the app on my Chromecast dongle I have encountered some pros and several cons:

The pros:
Fast forward now displays a preview screen similar to that seen in BBC iPlayer;
Key event markers are now hidden by default needing an extra Down tab to reveal them;
You can now tag sports content onto My List - find what you want more easily on your phone and tag it then use the big TV app to play from.

The cons:
Removal of the TV guide and retro-schedule - Given the ongoing non/mis-categorisation of sports content that can make it more tricky to find what you are looking for;
Not all content now has the duration marked on it making it harder to distinguish between highlights, extended highlights and full replay coverage;
But worst of all is that Resume does not work using the inbuilt Chromecast app - if you cast from your phone or tablet etc then Resume still works but that is more of a faff - a particular issue for me watching/skipping over eight hours of BSB coverage over multiple viewing sessions.

Would be interested to know if the same (hopefully) teething problems are in the version of the app on the newer Youview boxes and other still supported devices.

[zulu17]

@gomezz 

Just a quick response to a couple of your CONs

Removal of the TV guide and retro-schedule - Given the ongoing non/mis-categorisation of sports content that can make it more tricky to find what you are looking for;

My experience is that the TV guide and retro guide wasn't a consistent feature on all of the old style app. On  some  (it wasn't there , on others it was so cumbersome to use and navigate thru. The retro schedule seemed to drop  some events and retain only those where there was a link to a replay. They seem to have standardised on the new app but it seems to a Now & Next approach for the TV channels and a Sports Schedule .

Not all content now has the duration marked on it making it harder to distinguish between highlights, extended highlights and full replay coverage

Agree here you often have to start playing the content to see what duration it is,

[gomezz]

Now hit another issue with using the new app on my old tablet when trying to stream coverage of this weekend's MotoGP coverage directly on the tablet. It stutters and stalls then closes the app. Tried other older sports content and the same happens.

So back to using the browser version rather than the app when wanting to do this. Which throws up another issue that the web site does not work well in Chrome as it does not let you scroll the page up when browsing content. Seems to works fine in Firefox though so I have a workable workaround ... for now.

[gomezz]

I fear the service has fallen into the clutches of non-sports lovers again. Perhaps the old deposed team have staged a counter coup? 🙄

[zulu17]

---

@gomezzwrote:
I fear the service has fallen into the clutches of non-sports lovers again. Perhaps the old deposed team have staged a counter coup? 🙄

---

I think they have moved onto a new (but presumably) existing platform which previously didn't have to cater for TNT Sports content/subscriptions so it may take a while for them to sort their home pages  and content pages out to cater for what after all are their premium (sport) products.

[gomezz]

Mmm! Just tried the app again on my old tablet and it now seems to be streaming OK(ish). Intermittent/temporary server fault upstream is my new suspicion.

[gomezz]

Hopefully so but there does not seem to be a reliable way of getting feedback on the service back to those now responsible.

[zulu17]

---

@gomezzwrote:
Hopefully so but there does not seem to be a reliable way of getting feedback on the service back to those now responsible.

---

If you have X then a DM  to  their UK support site  (x user  discoveryplusUK) might be one way. they  may pass it on give you a stock reply.

[gomezz]

All I got from their web site was an AI chat bot fobbing me off.